Thousands of flights canceled as Beryl hits US

Flight cancellations are rising as Hurricane Beryl threatens the Texas Gulf Coast. Airlines have More than 1,300 flights canceled Monday amid concerns about heavy rain and strong winds from the storm, which is expected to cause dangerous storm surges and disrupt travel in some areas across the country.

Coastal cities in Texas are expected to feel the storm’s destructive power through Monday evening, after Beryl made landfall overnight as a Category 1 storm, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Flight disruptions Monday were most concentrated at Houston’s two major airports.

Nearly 80% of departures were canceled Monday at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), with 519 canceled as of 7:30 a.m. ET, according to data from flight-tracking website Flight knowledge.

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Overnight, the airport took to social media to warn passengers of impending disruptions. The airport said it was working to “streamline operations” in light of the storm. United Airlines flights were operating at the airport’s Terminal C on Monday, with Terminal B temporarily closed. The TSA checkpoint at Terminal D was also operating at a reduced capacity, the airport said.

United Airlines, which operates a major hub at the Intercontinental in Houston, led all U.S. airlines with more than 400 flight cancellations on Monday, representing about 14% of its operations, FlightAware data showed.

Southwest Airlines was second with 268 canceled flights across its network — about 5% of its Monday schedule. Southwest was the top carrier at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), where about 60% of departures were canceled Monday.

Help! Here’s what you need to do if your flight is canceled or delayed

Several airlines have issued travel advisories for the storm. These advisories typically allow customers to fly to, from, or between certain affected cities, even on regular restricted fares. Notably, both United and Southwest have issued advisories for major airports in Texas, including Houston’s two major airports as well as Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and San Antonio International Airport (SAT).

Beryl’s US flight disruptions follow storm leave a trail of destruction in parts of the Caribbean and Latin America. The storm caused significant damage in Jamaica before making landfall in Mexico, causing major flight cancellations over the weekend at Cancun International Airport (CUN) and the new Tulum International Airport (TQO) — but the region was spared more catastrophic impacts, as reported there.

Monday’s disruptions in the United States came after more than 600 flights were canceled on Sunday, which was set to be one of the busiest air travel days of all time as many travelers returned from the July 4th holiday.

If you plan to travel on Monday, be sure to pay attention to warnings from the National Weather Service and local authorities first when deciding whether to head to the airport or travel to a potentially affected area.

Download the airline’s app and keep a close eye out for signs of potential problems, as well as rebooking options in case your trip is affected.

Read up your rights as a flyerRemember, according to U.S. Department of Transportation policy, you’re entitled to a refund for the unused portion of your trip if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed for any reason—though that only applies if you ultimately choose not to fly and don’t accept a rebooking from the airline.

If you experience travel disruptions due to a storm, consider whether you have a travel insurance plan. Travel insurance protection through credit card that can help you recover any costs you’ve incurred. Typically, any insurance must be purchased before the storm is named to be eligible for a claim. And most often, if you have travel insurance through a credit card, you’ll need to book your trip with that card to be eligible for protection.

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